I've had a few people ask me to keep my AN's to an absolute minimum and I can only say I'll try. The reason I've been neglecting TLFS is because of my other ff, The Broken Doll, which is receiving an upsetting number of reviews when I think about all the hard work that went into it. Anyhoo.

Here is a nice long chapter for all you nice, kind reviewers and readers who have stuck by me, despite my chaotic updating regime. If you have any specifications or thing's you'd like to see, by all means, review and ask me because while I have a plan in my head…well, the journey to the destination is always more fun ;)

Chapter 22. My Two Sisters

Life sucks.

That's it, end of discussion, it just does. Although technically, I'm not alive, it still sucks. Hard.

"Bella, come on, we need to get to school." Someone called. I barely registered it for you see, I was hiding. Hiding was good, hiding made sense. Hiding meant I'd never have to pretend with Chen and I'd never have to talk to Edward and I'd never have to see anyone ever again. "Bella, come on!" Vee grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the attic, landing lightly on both high heeled feet. I felt limply but admittedly gracefully beside her.

"I don't want to go to school, I'm sick." I invented wildly and Vee rolled her eyes.

"Vampires don't get sick so don't try it missy, we're going to school whether you like it or not." She snapped at me.

"Please Vee? Do you know how weird this is going to be? I haven't seen them ninety years and now I'm meant to have a partner! I can't do it!" I shrieked a few decibels louder than usual. Vee winced and ran her hand through my hair, calming me down.

"Shhh, relax, okay, deep breaths. Now look, you can either hide in the attic and scare the new tenants when we leave like a 'real' vampire," I rolled my eyes at the air quotes around real. Max and Jenna were constantly questioning us during the first few years, about why we didn't go around scaring the crap outta people like 'real' vampires. It sorta stuck. "Or you can come and be a woman and face your fears."

I looked at her thoughtful. "These new tenants-"

"Down. Now." She hissed and I walked, sullenly down the staircase to see everyone already piled in the car and ready to go. Jenna and Max hadn't stopped laughing when I told them about our plan. Vee thought it was a bad idea and Andrew…he tended to side with Vee on everything so he was no help. However, they could understand why I'd said what I had even if I hadn't meant it and were going to make the best effort they could. Max chortled as I stepped into the passenger seat. Max and Jenna were sitting together in one seat and Vee was sitting behind with Andrew. Chen smirked in the drivers seat.

"Nice of you to join us sweetie," he said, mockingly and I snarled at him.

"Try me Chen, go on, I dare you." I snapped, moodily while my family burst into giggles. "Guys! It isn't funny!" I whined but no one listened as we sped down the highway and into the parking lot. Before we got out I turned to face the little buggers.

"You lot had better be on your best behaviour today. It got out of hand yesterday and there will be no relapses." I was referring to the so-called earthquake, which I had a feeling wasn't natural. Jenna had theory on that…she always does. I'd listened the other night when I came home as she explained it and although I didn't like the fact that I'd caused such major damage, I had to admit it was a useful skill to have.

"But Bells, it wasn't us it was you!" Max pointed out, confused and I sighed. Did they have any idea how they affected me at all?

"Yes but I want you to be relaxing if we see them, none of this tensing up. That was what triggered it yesterday; I'm pretty certain that and self preservation." I muttered, thoughtfully. I'd just control it. I'd just block out the Cullens from my family and then we'd get through this year (and then…the next) and then I'd leave and we'd wait for Jenna and Max to finish, and then off to college for all of us. I'd never have to see any of them again.

I swallowed the misery that came from the suggestion and hopped out of the car, hyper-aware of Chen's arm around my shoulders. It felt super weird so I tried to remember that Jake had done this once or twice-

Jacob was in love with you, he said so himself. Said the other, logical and slightly nastier side of my brain.

Yes well Chen is not. That was the difference. I fought back.

So it should feel weird then.

No. No it shouldn't.

Make up your mind.

Ugh. I have to stop making decisions inside my own head; it wears the damn thing out. But it did the job of distracting me as we walked amongst the other students and into the school.

"Aw Bella, this is so cramping my style," Chen muttered, mirthfully and I elbowed him in the gut while saying goodbye to Max and Jenna. Andrew went to Spanish whilst Vee took off to Social Studies. He was enjoying this, I realised. Not the fact that we had to act in love but the fact that people stared at us and I squirmed under their gaze.

Just as the bell rang, they all came flooding into school. It was impossible not to recognise them; their beauty and pale faces were startling amongst the other bland figures of the students, angels amongst mortals. I tried not to stare back, thanking god I didn't blush anymore, as they stared at me. Chen smirked and kissed my cheek, sweetly before taking off for AP Mathematics, his eyes dancing with mischief. Oh, he was going to cop it later.

I switched on my power at that point. Just in case Chen was thinking un-boyfriend-ish thoughts, I sought out Edward's gift first. Like tiny lights among the darkness, the three vampiric gifts shone out to me. I stopped the first with little difficulty and then shut off the second, the third dancing out of reach before I remembered that Alice's gift was one of the future and of the body not the mind. I concentrated more and it dimmed, not shut off but not completely functional.

I watched their faces turn shocked and I felt the lights try and feel through my block but it was impenetrable. Finally, Edward turned to me, seemingly able to guess what I was doing. He looked more shocked than the rest of them and the bruises under his eyes were even darker than usual. I felt a twinge of regret and was immediately grateful I'd numbed Jasper's ability. Jasper followed his gaze and I remained stone faced as he studied me before the bell rang again and I disappeared into the crowd, feeling all five stares on my back as I walked.

---

"This is torture." I moaned to Chen as lunch rolled around. Vampires were meant to think of time as quick flashes; a brief blink in the eye of eternity but today was as long as an eternity: or at least it felt like it. Chen had an arm around my waist and snorted quietly.

"Bella, I'm getting glares from almost every guy in this room for taking away the only single female of our family and this is torture for you?" he muttered, amused. I rolled my eyes as we sat down, barely registering what was on my plate. I could feel all the scents of human washing around me but rejection worked on vampires as well as it worked on humans. I was numb to the flavours of blood.

"Shut up, Dracula." I hissed at him, smiling. The Cullens took a place at their old table, it having been cleared up and the steam pipe repaired. The principal had given us a brief talking to about earth quake procedure but thankfully no one was hurt during the incident and the repairs had been made that afternoon.

"Bella, why is the blonde glaring at me?" Jenna whispered, so softly even I barely caught it but when I looked up, I understood what she meant. Rosalie was glaring at Jenna with a hundred times the venom she used on me. I felt a tiny bit miffed before realising how stupid I sounded.

I frowned, trying to see what Jenna could've done wrong. "Did you say anything at the…meeting?" I asked, sitting between her and Chen; Max, Andrew and Vee opposite us. Everyone ducked their head at the mention of the only coven meeting I hadn't attended: the one they'd held without me.

"No, nothing that she wouldn't be staring at Chen or Max for." She said, sounding a little defensive. I felt protective of Jenna: she was like my daughter and my little sister mixed as one and I was close to standing and asking Rosalie what her problem was.

But I simply shrugged and whispered to her: "Rosalie gets angry about the little things, don't worry about it." And she smiled a little. We didn't eat the food; occasionally we brought drinks to our lips without taking a sip. It was all part of the show.

I took the moment to look around, map out possible exits should we need them: someone could smell too good, it may get too sunny or we might get into an argument with the Cullens. But things were pretty neutral on all levels; my coven didn't look to bothered by the blood although Max breathing less than usual and Jenna held his hand.

I was seriously reconsidering my plan of sticking around when the bell rang and I separated from my coven for Biology. As I walked, I felt someone trailing behind me and when I span around to look (before turning to the front again so quickly that to humans, it probably looked as though I hadn't moved at all) Alice Cullen was tripping lightly down the hall to me. Her face was cautious and joyful and miserable. Confusion seemed to be the main feeling of everyone at this time. But there was no denying she looked as lovely as ever; the same spiky black hair glistened on her head and the same wide golden eyes sat in her pale, pointed face.

I couldn't speed up without alerting others so I simply tried to pretend that I hadn't noticed she was there, that I didn't care when really my body was screaming at me to stop and turn around and hug her. I missed Alice so much. She was my best friend before Vee and I missed the sisterly bond we had shared before…she left. Which made me hate her too because she broke me with the rest of her family. Love and hate battled it over in my throat…neither seem to be winning as she appeared beside me. "Bella?" the first words she'd said to me in over ninety years.

Suddenly my mouth didn't want to work. "Alice," I acknowledged curtly.

"Bella, can we talk? Please?" she pleaded and her hand went for mine. I flinched away from it, remembering how painful it was after she left. It lashed at my insides again and I quivered slightly. "Bella, I never wanted to leave but Edward-"

"Edward thought it was best." I finished, emotionlessly. She stared up at me with a heart breaking expression of big golden eyes and trembling lips. A puppy dog pout, I think Vee would call it.

"Yes." She whispered. We'd stopped now and moved to the side although two of the new kids from different families talking to each other were sure to draw attention no matter where we went.

"I didn't want to but he had the most claim on the matter! I could see how miserable you both would be but he wouldn't listen to it, he just kept saying the future was unpredictable, that it would change and then he asked me to stop looking and I did and-" Alice's babble came to a halt as she sucked in a deep, unnecessary breath and shuddered. I was stunned into place although only half a minute had passed since the conversation had began and we still needed to get to class. But something about the…human element of her face was enough to keep me in place. "-and I'm sorry Bella, I didn't want it to end up this way."

"But it did." I whispered, my voice unwavering and thick. "It did end up this way and I went through hell while you were away. Alice, you should have known me better, you should've listened to your logic, to our friendship! But no!" I hissed. "You listened to the man who thought he was doing right by me when really all he did was tear me to shreds! You should've been able to know that would've happened, visions or not!" I edged past her, feeling as if I would cry if I could when I reached my seat in World Studies.

Alice slithered in a few moments later followed by the teacher. "Ah now, we haven't met because of the unfortunate earth quake yesterday, but we have two new students with us today," he consulted his clipboard and I felt myself shrink, hoping that a small 'I'm here' would suffice. Alas, twas not to be. "Alice Cullen and Isabella Sparrow. Why don't you two come up here and tell us a bit about yourself?"

I stood, stiffly from the empty seat at the front and glided with Alice (who was sitting on the other side of the room) to the front of the classroom. "My name is Alice and my family and I have just moved here from Chicago. I have three adoptive brothers, two adoptive parents and-" she cast a look at me and smiled a little. "-two adoptive sisters."

Those two words made me want to sob as the love in the love/hate battle won out. This was going to cause trouble for them. A sister that never made an entry to the school? But she didn't care. She was doing it as an apology to me.

Besides, I never could stay mad at Alice for long.

I turned to the class after she finished introducing my family quickly and quietly. I saw a few people in the front row flinch when I smiled, serenely at the end, dancing back to my seat. Human instincts were good at picking out possible dangers. The teacher was bald, plump and had an annoying habit of smacking his lips while he spoke but I didn't care.

It was all I could stand not to run over to Alice and hug my long lost sister.

---

"Bella, I am really sorry," Alice was still apologizing as I walked with her after class. I smiled at her and it seemed like she'd never left for a moment.

"You're forgiven Alice." I laughed and she gave me a hesitant look. "What?"

"Well…does this mean you'll forgive Edward too?" she asked, slowly. My body tensed and I carefully removed the arm I had around her tiny waist.

"I don't think so Alice." I said, quietly. For one thing, he probably never wanted to see me again after the meadow and for another…well, even if the truth did come out (which it might now that I'd forgiven one of the Cullens), he'd be furious.

"Why not Bella?" Alice whined and pouted. But the days were her puppy-dog eyes worked on me were long over. "He's sorry! You haven't seen what the last-"

"Ninety years?" I asked as I moved toward my history classroom, quickly. I should've known Alice's meddling skills would never wane. "And whose fault is that?" I chuckled without humour and threw Alice a quick smile before entering the class.

Chen met up with me as we went to our class. "Hey beautiful." He said, kissing my forehead and making some of the other students turn and frown at us. "How's your day been?"

"Why do I feel like I'm in a bad Fawlty Towers episode?" I asked, complaining.

"Come on Bella, cheer up. We're meant to be in luuuuurve." Chen sang and grinned as we entered-

Oh no.

No.

Hell no!

"Chen, I thought you said we had the AP." I hissed, checking and rechecking my schedule. Why hadn't I realised it before?! How could I not!?

"We are. What's the emergency?" Chen frowned before he checked the door number and his golden eyes widened. "Shit Bella, I didn't know." He whispered back but it was no use now. With a heavy heart, Chen and I entered room 42: Biology lab.

Did I mention that it was exactly the same lab as the one I'd met Edward in? No? Hmm.

It had changed since last time I was here; the windows were wider and more tempting, the chalkboard had been exchanged for a white board and the two person benches were stretched to a more efficient three-person length. Chen and I glided in and looked at the teacher, who stammered and studied us wide eyed. He reminded me a little of Mr Banner but the hair colour was darker and he was much taller than Banner could've ever hoped to be.

"Err…Mr umm…Dracula? That's an interesting name." he said, distracted for a moment. The entire class's heads locked on to Chen for an answer. He shrugged.

"I was adopted and I didn't have a last name. System let me choose one and Dracula was it." He said, smoothly. I rolled my eyes in a quick flash only Chen could see.

"Ah hem. Of course. And Miss Sparrow…Ah yes, here we are. Now, if you'd like to take your seats over there-" he said, regaining control and directing us to the bench by the window. It was completely empty and Chen snagged the seat closest to the glass, leaving me next to him in the middle. I could only breathe a sigh of relief to see we'd be the only pair in a classroom of threes-

"Excuse my lateness, Mr Flag, I got lost on my way here." a smooth velvet voice said and I clammed up. My entire body went into lock down, I didn't breathe, I didn't open my eyes, I didn't move a muscle as I waited for the teacher's reply.

"Yes, well, apology accepted Mr err…"

Ruffling of papers.

The door closes.

Mr Flag mumbles. And then:

"Cullen. Edward Cullen sir."

My life took a nosedive.

"Mr Cullen, here we are, well you can take a place next to Miss Sparrow and Mr, err, Dracula." He said the name awkwardly. No. No. Please, god, don't do this to me. I haven't done anything wrong! Please don't!

I felt someone stiffly sit down next to me and I carefully opened my eyes, looking straight at my text books. The teacher began blabbering on about something or other and I couldn't focus my attention. All I could do was sit, rigidly in my seat and wait until it was all over.

I made the mistake of glancing at the Bunsen burner gas tap and saw in its shiny metal reflection that Edward was staring right at me. I glanced at Chen too in the metal and he was glaring at Edward on my other side.

So yeah, Life sucks. But I have to admit...death sucks more.

I received a Review on my last chapter that I thought had some questions that a few of my readers have been asking me. Being the neglectful author that I am, I haven't been answering but I'll be redeeming myself (hopefully) in the near future.

If Bella and Chen keep this up, I won't read anymore: Okay, I can respect your opinion…but you'll be missing out on all the fun I get to have with the characters…bwahahahahahahaha

Hurry up and put Edward out of his misery: All in good time, young grasshoppers…

Please, please, please DO NOT BRING JACOB: Relax, I've already got a Jcentric story brewing in my head. See my profile if you need further proof!

Where is Alice: She's right above us ;)

Who else are you bringing in: That is for me to know and for you to scream "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! YOU CANNOT PUT THAT THING IN THERE!?!?!?!?" at your computer when I update. Try to guess who it might be…

I love this story: Okay, so I know this isn't technically a question but I just have to say:
YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME! VIRTUAL COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!!!!